Highball, cobbler, crusta, and fizz-Do these ring a bell to you? No? What about cooler, punch, and cocktail? Yes, what you're thinking might be right: these are popular mixed drinks, alcoholic beverages made up of two or more alcoholic ingredients.
Why mix them? Well, it's due to the simple reason that two is better than one.
Mixed drinks offer a different taste than pure liquor.
The same principle goes with coffee.
You mix two or more types of coffee and you get a somewhat unique tasting stuff called a "blend.
" In the old days, manufacturers blend coffee in order to save money.
Most mix small quantities of superior Arabica beans with less aromatic Robusta.
The result is a low-grade commercial coffee.
This tactic is still employed today.
However, there are some coffee manufacturers that have somewhat revolutionized coffee blending.
They are not just looking to save on cost; rather, they are after satisfying the consumer's palate.
In other words, their top priority is to blend coffee varieties in a way that the end result would cater to the consumer's unique sensibilities.
One particular example is Kona blend coffee.
Kona is a district in Hawaii famed for its beautiful beaches, which mesmerize both divers and surfers.
Its mountainous slopes are blessed with a coffee-friendly climate and fantastic volcanic soil, attributes that make it perfect for growing Arabica coffee.
But what separates this coffee from other ones is that Kona farmers take special care in picking and drying the cherries; because the process is all natural, Kona beans retain all its flavors and have what coffee connoisseurs call a "full body" taste.
But the thing is pure Kona coffee is rather expensive.
Typical pure Kona beans would cost you $27.
99 per pound.
A special Kona coffee like Peaberry Kona, which contains whole beans, has a price tag of $33.
99 per pound.
At the modest estimates, one pound of coffee yields 32 eight ounce cups, which is the regular cup size in most coffee chains.
If you would consume a cup a day, then you would probably spend $167.
94 to $203.
94 in just six months with regular Kona coffee.
In one year, that translates to about $335.
88 to $407.
88.
With that kind of money, you can almost buy a brand new iPad.
Of course, there are folks who can afford to consume pure Kona coffee everyday.
Some, however, cannot.
That is why manufacturers have come up with the idea of blending Kona with other varieties of coffee.
The cost is arguably lower, but they blend it in a way that the distinctive Kona flavor is not lost and overcome by the other coffee variety.
Usually, producers mix 10% Kona beans with other beans (usually from Brazil, Africa, or Indonesia).
If you are worried about the high price of regular Kona coffee, then you should try Kona blend coffee.
With this blend, you will enjoy some of the rich and amazing taste of Kona coffee without hurting your wallet.